Chapter 2
When Emily picked up the microphone, the whole room went quiet.
Her very first words were, "Before I start the official report, there's someone I want to thank."
Her gaze swept across the room, finally settling on me.
"Thank you, Mr. David Grant, the founder of Autonova Mobility," she said.
Everyone turned to look at me.
I sat in the corner of the last row, keeping a straight face.
"If it weren't for his technical judgment six years ago, Autonova Mobility wouldn't be where it is today," Emily said.
"I'll always give him that," she added.
The room erupted in applause.
As they clapped, a lot of people glanced my way, their expressions carrying a strange mix of sympathy and detachment.
It was like they were watching an actor take their final bow before leaving the stage.
"Olivia Carter...no," Emily suddenly changed the subject.
"But now that we've come this far, just relying on technical intuition isn't enough to keep moving forward.
"The autonomous driving race has already entered the elimination round.
"Over the past two years, we've missed three chances to expand into new cities. Two partnerships with major automakers have been put on hold.
"And we all know why."
She didn't say my name.
But everyone knew exactly who she was talking about.
"If the leadership keeps rejecting business expansion plans based solely on one technical standard, then the company's potential will always be limited by a single person's judgment," she said.
"That's not healthy. And it's not scientific," she added.
There were nods from the audience.
Richard Blake, the representative from an institutional investor sitting in the second row, gave a couple of claps.
Michael took the mic, his face calm, voice unhurried.
He was a master at hiding a knife behind a friendly smile.
"I've known David for almost ten years," he said.
He shot me a look.
"I've always admired his dedication to technical safety. But being too cautious is a risk in itself," he continued.
"The market doesn't wait for anyone.
"Our competitors have already nailed their business model in three cities. If we don't move now, the window will slam shut for good."
The audience broke into applause again.
I glanced down at my phone.
Alex texted me.
[45% sold. Plenty of buyers, price holding steady.]
Michael was still speaking on stage.
"Today's vote isn't about rejecting the past. It's about helping Autonova Mobility accelerate," he said.
He paused.
"And we hope Mr. Grant can understand that this is the necessary step for the company's growth," he added.
He finished and took his seat.
Emily picked up the microphone again.
"Now, let's move on to the voting session," she said.
"First item: Remove Mr. David Grant from his positions as chairman and chief technology officer.
"All those in favor, please raise your hands."
I didn't bother to count.
But I knew it was five votes.
"Motion passes," Emily announced.
Her voice was steady, like she was announcing something everyone already knew.
"Second item: Elect Ms. Emily Carter as chairman and chief executive officer.
"All those in favor, please raise your hands."
Five hands went up again.
"Motion passes," Emily announced.
The applause erupted, even louder than before.
Some people stood up and applauded.
A few executives in the front row turned to look at me.
Everyone had a different look on their face.
Some looked sympathetic, some looked relieved, and some looked like they were getting a kick out of my downfall.
Only one person didn't look at me.
Sam Parker.
My former assistant, sitting in the middle section, head down, glued to his phone.
He was the only one who knew what I was really up to.
Emily stood on the stage, basking in the congratulations.
Michael leaned in and whispered something to her, and she smiled.
That smile was the most relaxed I'd ever seen from her.
It was like she'd finally gotten rid of a heavy burden she'd been carrying for ages.
I stood up, grabbed the unopened bottle of mineral water from the table, and walked out.
No one called out to me.
No one tried to stop me.
As I reached the door, I heard Emily's voice behind me.
"One more thing," she said.
"Starting today, Autonova Mobility is going all-in on the commercial rollout of L4 autonomous driving.
"The first fleet of 500 self-driving cars will hit the streets of Brighton City next month."
Another round of applause erupted.
I pushed the door open and walked out.
The hallway was quiet.
My phone buzzed.
It was a message from Alex.
[All shares sold. Final amount: 25.11 billion dollars.]
I took a look at the number.
I deleted the message without a second thought.